In general, a carrying box has a bottom portion coupled to a support member such as a palette so as to be carried by a forklift truck. The carrying box is integrated with a palette or formed to maintain the shape thereof as it is, and thus the carrying box inevitably occupies a large space when the carrying box is moved to be stored or collected.
In order to solve such a problem, a folding assembly box has been used, which may be folded to reduce the volume when stored or collected. For example, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0417505, registered on May 23, 2006, discloses a folding container palette system.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a folding container palette system as an example of a folding assembly box. The folding container palette system includes a box 10, a palette 20, and a lid 30. The box 10 may be folded to reduce the volume when the folding container palette system is carried or stored.
The box 10 includes a plurality of plastic panels 11 and 12, four corner hinge supports 13, and two center hinge supports 14. The corner hinge supports 13 and the center hinge supports 14 connect the plastic panels 11 and 12, and the connection portions therebetween are folded in such a manner that the plastic panels 11 and 12 overlap each other. The plastic panels 11 and 12 are formed of light resin for excellent workability.
Each of the corner hinge supports 13 is connected to the edges of the adjacent plastic panels 11 and 12 in each of the corners, and includes a pair of bracket portions 131 and a hinge portion 133 that are integrated with each other. The pair of bracket portions 131 are formed to have a symmetric shape about the corner, and hingably connected to the hinge portion 133.
The bracket portions 131 have insertion fixing channels 132 which have a U-shaped cross-section and are elongated in a vertical direction such that the edges of the adjacent plastic panels 11 and 12 are inserted and fixed to the insertion fixing channels 132, respectively. The hinge portion 133 forms 90 degrees in a state in which the box 10 is unfolded. For this structure, the bracket portions 131 have stoppers 131a formed to face the insertion fixing channels 132, the stoppers 131a being met each other when the box 10 is unfolded.
The hinge portion 133 is formed of soft resin which may be easily folded and unfolded, that is, easily deformed to hingably connect the bracket portions 131. The hinge portion 133 may be formed by extrusion molding.
Each of the center hinge supports 14 also includes a pair of bracket portions 141 and a hinge portion 143 to which the bracket portions 141 are hingably connected. The bracket portions 141 and the hinge portion 143 are integrated with each other. Each of the bracket portions 141 have insertion fixing channels 142 which have a U-shaped cross-section and are elongated in a vertical direction such that the edges of the adjacent plastic panels 12 are inserted and fixed to the insertion fixing channels 142, respectively. The hinge portion 143 forms 180 degrees in a state in which the box 10 is unfolded. For this structure, the bracket portions 141 have stoppers 141a which meet each other to form 180 degrees in a state where the box is unfolded. Furthermore, the hinge portion 143 is formed by extrusion molding using soft resin, like the hinge portion 133.
Since the corner hinge supports 13 and the center hinge supports 14 are integrally formed by extrusion molding using soft resin, the workability thereof is improved and the price and weight thereof are reduced. However, since the strength is reduced, the corner hinge supports 13 and the center hinge supports 14 are vulnerable to an impact.
FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate another folding container palette system in which bracket portions and a hinge portion are separated. As illustrated, a corner hinge support 15 and a center hinge support 16 include bracket portions 151 and 161 and hinge portions 153 and 163, respectively, which are formed of a light aluminum material having a relatively high strength and excellent workability, and formed by extrusion molding. Furthermore, the corner hinge support 15 and the center hinge support 16 have coupling grooves 154 and 164 formed in the bracket portions 151 and 161, respectively, and a coupling member 18 inserted and coupled to the coupling grooves 154 and 164 is formed of soft resin which may be repetitively folded and unfolded.
Meanwhile, the insertion fixing channels 152 and 162 to which the plastic panels 11 and 12 are inserted have teeth 155 and 165 formed therein such that the edges of the plastic panels 11 and 12 inserted therein do not come off.
In the above-described conventional folding container palette system, however, relatively thick plastic panels must be used in consideration of the strength of the assembly box, and thick bracket portions must be used like the plastic panels. Therefore, since the respective panels of the assembly box have a large thickness, the volume of the assembly box inevitably increases when the assembly box is folded.
Furthermore, although the teeth are installed to prevent the edges of the plastic panels inserted into the insertion fixing channels from coming off, it was impossible to perfectly prevent the plastic panels from coming off.
In order to complement the problem, the plastic panels 11 and 12 may be fixed to the bracket portions through nails 19 as illustrated in FIG. 4. In this case, however, when the assembly box is folded, the volume of the assembly box may be further increased by the heads of the nails 19. Furthermore, when the nails 19 are used, the damage may be applied to the bracket portions and the plastic panels, thereby degrading a waterproof effect.